Potential Risks of Flushing Cat Poop Down Your Toilet - Advice for Better Handling
Potential Risks of Flushing Cat Poop Down Your Toilet - Advice for Better Handling
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Introduction
As pet cat owners, it's necessary to be mindful of how we dispose of our feline friends' waste. While it may appear practical to flush cat poop down the bathroom, this practice can have destructive repercussions for both the setting and human wellness.
Alternatives to Flushing
Thankfully, there are more secure and a lot more responsible means to deal with cat poop. Take into consideration the adhering to choices:
1. Scoop and Dispose in Trash
The most common approach of getting rid of cat poop is to scoop it right into a biodegradable bag and toss it in the trash. Make certain to utilize a devoted clutter inside story and get rid of the waste promptly.
2. Usage Biodegradable Litter
Opt for eco-friendly cat clutter made from materials such as corn or wheat. These clutters are environmentally friendly and can be safely gotten rid of in the garbage.
3. Bury in the Yard
If you have a lawn, consider hiding pet cat waste in a designated location away from vegetable yards and water resources. Be sure to dig deep sufficient to stop contamination of groundwater.
4. Install a Pet Waste Disposal System
Buy a pet waste disposal system particularly made for cat waste. These systems utilize enzymes to break down the waste, lowering odor and ecological effect.
Health Risks
In addition to environmental issues, flushing feline waste can additionally present wellness risks to human beings. Feline feces might have Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can cause toxoplasmosis-- a potentially serious illness, particularly for expectant ladies and people with weakened immune systems.
Ecological Impact
Purging feline poop presents dangerous pathogens and parasites into the supply of water, positioning a considerable danger to water communities. These pollutants can negatively impact marine life and compromise water quality.
Conclusion
Responsible pet possession expands past giving food and sanctuary-- it additionally entails correct waste monitoring. By avoiding flushing cat poop down the toilet and opting for alternative disposal approaches, we can decrease our ecological impact and shield human wellness.
Why Can’t I Flush Cat Poop?
It Spreads a Parasite
Cats are frequently infected with a parasite called toxoplasma gondii. The parasite causes an infection called toxoplasmosis. It is usually harmless to cats. The parasite only uses cat poop as a host for its eggs. Otherwise, the cat’s immune system usually keeps the infection at low enough levels to maintain its own health. But it does not stop the develop of eggs. These eggs are tiny and surprisingly tough. They may survive for a year before they begin to grow. But that’s the problem.
Our wastewater system is not designed to deal with toxoplasmosis eggs. Instead, most eggs will flush from your toilet into sewers and wastewater management plants. After the sewage is treated for many other harmful things in it, it is typically released into local rivers, lakes, or oceans. Here, the toxoplasmosis eggs can find new hosts, including starfish, crabs, otters, and many other wildlife. For many, this is a significant risk to their health. Toxoplasmosis can also end up infecting water sources that are important for agriculture, which means our deer, pigs, and sheep can get infected too.
Is There Risk to Humans?
There can be a risk to human life from flushing cat poop down the toilet. If you do so, the parasites from your cat’s poop can end up in shellfish, game animals, or livestock. If this meat is then served raw or undercooked, the people who eat it can get sick.
In fact, according to the CDC, 40 million people in the United States are infected with toxoplasma gondii. They get it from exposure to infected seafood, or from some kind of cat poop contamination, like drinking from a stream that is contaminated or touching anything that has come into contact with cat poop. That includes just cleaning a cat litter box.
Most people who get infected with these parasites will not develop any symptoms. However, for pregnant women or for those with compromised immune systems, the parasite can cause severe health problems.
How to Handle Cat Poop
The best way to handle cat poop is actually to clean the box more often. The eggs that the parasite sheds will not become active until one to five days after the cat poops. That means that if you clean daily, you’re much less likely to come into direct contact with infectious eggs.
That said, always dispose of cat poop in the garbage and not down the toilet. Wash your hands before and after you clean the litter box, and bring the bag of poop right outside to your garbage bins.
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